Legends of Oz: Gale
by ARavenclawWhoDoesRead
Summary: When the ghosts of Dorothy's enemies come back to haunt her, she figures out her backstory is more mysterious then it seems. Will Dorothy rise up and honor her family name? Or will she fall through the cracks of her father's unknown murderer's mistakes?
1. Author's Introduction

To My Readers,

Ever since I saw the Wizard of Oz, I have always wondered who were Dorothy's parents. After watching _Oz the Great and Powerful_, it gave me an answer (by the way Annie and John are in this fanfiction!) However, I wanted to build on what could have happened to them. The original movie (The Wizard of Oz, 1939) was set in the early 1900s. Due to the outbreaks of the historical disease in the United States, Dorothy's parents likely died from the Spanish Flu outbreak in 1916, which started in Kansas. Then, I watch_ Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return. _This movie was set in a modern time period. I had to come up with an alternate reason for her parents' death. In the end, I came up with a whole fanfiction. Enjoy!

PS: This story contains some Dorothy x Scarecrow moments.


	2. The Mysterious Envelope

Dorothy was in deep thought. She was painting on the house's porch. It was around seven o'clock at night. She was thinking about her friends back in Oz. She still liked her other friends too, but there was something about Scarecrow that made him...special. Maybe it was a certain gleam in one of his emerald eyes or his curious outlook on life. Dorothy wasn't completely sure. She hadn't seen her friends in years. She was fifteen now, however she still possessed her kind and curious spirit. Dorothy's sense of style had changed though. She normally wore a pair of straight-leg overalls and a white and blue gingham shirt and she tied her hair into a braid and added a gingham bow to the end of it, instead of that dress and those pigtails she wore years before.

Nothing had really bothered her ever since she saved her town from that shady appraiser. She knew something about him was off since the moment she set eyes on him. Dorothy was able to read others quite well and see who they were around certain people. She most likely inherited that trait from her mother, which was a good thing. Her mother was known for her kindness and patience towards all people. It really was a shame that she no longer could show that...

The only thing that was bothering her ever since she returned back home was the dreadful nightmares she had been having. She would normally dream about the ghosts Witches and the Jester. Dorothy remembered one night, the nightmare she had was so terrible that she couldn't sleep for two days. It was just getting out of hand, and she was tired of it, physically and mentally. She needed something to try and get her mind off them...

She started stargazing...

The girl looked away from the canvas she was painting on. She saw many stars and constellations. Dorothy had been rather fascinated with the Kansas night sky shortly after she left Oz. Dorothy took out a small notebook and pencil from her pocket. She started to sketch the view of the night sky. What really interested Dorothy was that she could find something different about it every night. Sometimes a star would be in a different position or a constellation looked a bit different. That particular night, Dorothy noticed a constellation that looked like a rainbow. This made her think of the Scarecrow's Rainbow Mover.

"I wonder if Scarecrow fixed the mess that silly Jester made. He probably did, he's a great king. But, he is much more than just a great king." Dorothy thought smiling, stroking the brush across the canvas. "I wonder what he..." She trailed off after noticing something out of the corner of her eye.

The girl noticed an envelope that was blowing in the wind. The envelope landed on the ground. Dorothy stood up from her chair and grabbed the envelope. She looked at the front of the envelope to see who it was for. Her eyes widened in shock.

_For Dorothy_

_Author's Note: Yes I revised the first chapter, only because I just felt it was not complete. I deleted out the nightmare scene because I took the Galen Amulet out of the story. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. And the next chapter should be out in the next few hours! (Please comment! I really need feedback and future ideas! :D )_


	3. When the Wind Blows

_Fifteen years before Dorothy's birth..._

_Charlotte knew he wasn't coming. He said so himself. Though, she hoped that he would change that stubborn mind of his. Alexander Lion was a bizarre creature, with a somewhat strange personality. Still, Charlotte was quite fond of him. He was stubborn and proud, but he could also be kind and understanding (when he wanted to be that is). His golden fur and flowing mane were truly majestic and kingly. Alexander was the king of the Ozian animals, after all. However, Alexander had some human in him too. He would rarely walk like a lion, mostly only when he was ready to pounce or whenever he felt like it. The lion would generally stand on his two back paws and used his frontal paws as "hands." He also frequently wore darker colored waistcoats, with a white cravat tied loosely around his neck. His claws of his back paws were always sharp. However, the claws of his frontal paws were surprisingly very gentle. They didn't scratch or cut her when he grazed one softly across her cheek even if most people saw him as an arrogant and a ferocious beast, that didn't stop the Winkie girl from seeing his true beauty. _

_"Please, Alex...just this one night," Charlotte begged silently, standing on the emerald steps in the cold night air._

_She waited for a couple more minutes before deciding to head back inside to where the party was taking place. When she started to walk back inside, Charlotte turned her blonde-haired head to see a figure coming into the light of the lanterns at the palace's entrance. A figure wearing a dark blue waistcoat and a white cravat loosely tied around its broad neck. A blue-ribbon securely tied around the end of its tail, and smaller one tied in its hair. Its elegant mane seemed to be a bit more fluffy and than usual. Charlotte's eyes lit up and ran towards the figure._

_"Alex!" Charlotte exclaimed in delight, gently hugging the lion king, "I thought you weren't going to come tonight." _

_"Well yes," The lion said, returning her embrace in the same manner, "people change their minds for certain...reasons."_

_Charlotte laughed her sweet laugh, which made Alexander smile his toothy grin. _

_"Would one of those reasons happen to be a certain person?" Charlotte asked, knowing that she already knew the answer._

_"Yeah," The lion smirked, looking softly into her grayish-blue eyes, "a beautiful Winkie girl, who is one of my closest friends in the entire world, and who doesn't see me as a monster."_

_"Aw Alex, I'm flattered, but I am sure that the others don't see you as a monster as well," Charlotte said, smiling._

_"Are you so sure about that?" Alexander remarked condescendingly, "one of the reasons I came was so they wouldn't think I was a bore or something..."_

_"Alex!" Charlotte scolded, narrowing her eyes on him, "we are all friends, remember, and friends..."_

_"Care about each other..." Alexander finished, letting out a sigh._

_"Exactly!" Charlotte smiled, taking his left paw in her hand, " Now come on, we are very late for the party!" _

_"Yeah..." Alexander said, disheartened, "very late..." _

_"Maybe being late is not all bad..." he thought to himself, heading into the ballroom with Charlotte, "the later we are, the less time I have to spend with Chopper..."_

...

_Laurens Chopper and Johnathan Gale were standing near the banquet table, gazing at the dancers that glided across the ballroom floor. Laurens looked over at his best friend. He felt the feeling of anxiety rise in his stomach. There was something that had been plaguing his thoughts for the past week. He had only come tonight to break the news to John. The woodchopper closed his eyes and took a deep breath before gaining the courage to speak. _

_"John?" Laurens asked his anxiety affecting his words._

_Johnathan took his gaze off the dancers and focused it on Laurens. That was the first word Laurens had said to him all night. John already knew something was wrong. Chopper had been acting quite jittery lately. He was usually a relaxed person and loved to attend parties. He was what some people would call "a socialite." However, the woodchopper wasn't talking to anyone, not even his closest __friends..._

_"Are you alright, Laurens?" John asked, concern edging his words, "you haven't been acting like yourself lately."_

_Chopper let out a deep sigh before continuing._

_"No, I'm not." Laurens admitted, looking at his friend, "John, there's something I need to-"_

_"John! Laurens!" Charlotte exclaimed gleefully, unknowingly interrupting, while still holding Alexander's paw._

_"Char!" Johnathan said, gently hugging her, "Long time no see."_

_Charlotte hugged him back, letting go of Alex's paw, before replying._

_"Yeah," Charlotte stated, releasing herself from the embrace, "how was Kansas by the way?"_

_"Oh, it's fine as usual," Johnathan replied in a slightly bored tone, "I did get to meet my new nephew, though."_

_"Aw, that's sweet," Laurens said, "what's the little guy's name?"_

_"Philip." John answered smiling slightly, "He's a pretty cute baby, though I was a bit shocked by the name they picked. I thought Henry would name him after our father." _

_There was a pause before John continued speaking._

_"Hm, now that I think about it..." He stated, sounding slightly suspicious, "where's Victoria?" _

_"You mean your lover?" Laurens said, smiling and slightly teasing but he quickly brushed it off when Charlotte gave him the "look", "She's on a business trip in the Land of Ev right now. When she left, she said she would be back in a few months."_

_"Oh," John replied, not trying to hide his disappointment, "I guess this visit I won't get to see her..."_

_"And, speaking of not being here..." Chopper stated, looking at Alexander, "I thought you said you weren't coming, Mister O' Mighty Animal King."_

_Alexander had been standing next to Charlotte for the past five minutes, listening to the conversation, and now one of his "friends" decided to acknowledge him. He was thinking about "getting even" with Chopper at that very moment. However, in his head, Alex knew this wasn't the right time. He instead decided to give him a taste of his own medicine..._

_"Hello Treekillier, how do you do tree-day!" Alex teases, self-satisfied to give that bastard what he deserved._

_Laurens's blood began to boil. "You take that back, you pathetic, big, hairy -"_

_Laurens was not able to finish his insult, because Charlotte had step in between the two men, holding her arms out to keep them apart._

_"Boys enough!" Charlotte yelled, also reaching her boiling point, but she quickly calmed down._

_"We have an announcement to make, Laurens, remember?" Charlotte asked, looking at her lover._

_"Right..." The woodchopper replied, giving one last angry glance at the lion king, before going over to stand next to Charlotte. _

_"So, we are..." Laurens started._

_"Getting married!" Charlotte finished happily. _

_"MARRIED?!" John and Alex both exclaimed in surprise, for two very different reasons._

_There was another pause before Johnathan spoke._

_"Oh my gosh, I'm so happy for you guys!" Johnathan exclaimed, hugging his two friends._

_Alexander stood, planted to the spot, his blood running cold. _

_"How could someone like her love someone like that?" He asked himself, turning to his mind for answers. "How could someone beautiful, lovely, and kind fall for a condescending, rude bastard?! How could my Charlotte marry that!"_

_Johnathan eventually noticed Alexander had not moved for a solid minute. He let go of his two friends and went over to the lion king._

_"Uh, Alex?" Johnathan asked, looking at him, "are you okay?"_

_Alex woke up from his "trance" however, his face still seemed frozen._

_"I think I should go...out in the gardens for a bit and...get some fresh air..." Alexander said, his words trembling slightly._

_He then got down on all four and ran off into the crowd of people, not hearing Charlotte shouting his name..._

...

_Eventually, Alexander made his way to the Emerald City Palace Gardens. After leaving Charlotte and the others, the lion king felt a bit of regret. He considered going back and explaining himself. It was a battle between his heart and his head. The lion king's head told him to go back and give his reasons as to why he doesn't approve of them getting married. However, his heart said to him that he should keep running, and maybe he would find an answer. Alexander would normally listen to whatever his head told him. However, this was the one time he did what the heart instructed him to do. He wasn't a coward. That was for sure. This time, though, he had to run away. No matter how hard he could try to talk her out of it, it wouldn't change Char's deep, romantic feelings towards Chopper. _

_Maybe he ran a little too fast because he accidentally bumped into someone, knocking them to the ground._

_"Oh, dear!" Alexander exclaimed out of shock, embarrassment, and guilt, "I'm so sorry, let me help you up!"_

_"Oh no, sir that's quite alright," the female voice said, in a cheerful tone, "I'm a cat, so I always land on my feet. No need to be embarrassed!" _

_The lion king looked up at the person he hit. However, he got something he wasn't expecting..._

_He had hit a lioness, who had been standing on her hinge legs admiring some dandelion flowers. When she was knocked over, she was able to land on her four legs, like he could. However, when the two made eye contact, the feeling that started to form in his heart was unlike any other. They both ended up smiling at each other and they both started laughing. Once their two-minute laughing fit had ceased, the two struck up a conversation._

_"Oh my, I don't think I haven't laughed that hard in years!" The lioness said, still slightly wheezing._

_"Me neither," The lion king replied, "the last time I remember laughing that hard is when my father told me a joke!" _

_"Oh really?" The lioness asked, gazing at him in awe, "Is he very funny?" _

_"Oh yes, the funniest in all of Oz, at least me and mother thought so. I mean he was a king so he was very busy but still found time to be funny..." Alexander stated looking off in the distance, recalling the memories of his cub-hood._

_"You said __**was**__?" The lioness acknowledged, putting a paw on Alexander's, "Is he passed?" _

_"Yeah..." Alexander said discouraged also holding her paw, "I was orphaned at ten years of age. I don't remember how they died. I just remember hearing them scream and then..." _

_"Gone?" The lioness asked gloomily pausing before use continued,"I'm an orphan too so I know how you feel..."_

_There was a moment of silence shared between the two of them. They had both noticed they were still holding each other paws. They both pulled their paws away, both blushing out of embarrassment. They both ended up smiling at each other. Alexander tried to start a conversation to ease the awkward feeling._

_"So, I don't think I ever got your name?" Alexander remarked, starting to turn a light shade of crimson._

_"Oh!" The lioness replied a surprised she hadn't said it earlier, "Excuse my poor manners, I'm Leona."_

_"Leona?" Alexander asked, sounding a bit shocked, and Leona took it as disapproval._

_Alexander noticed her smile disappear off her face._

_"I know it's not the best name out there but..." Leona started, but Alexander raised his paw, signaling her to pause._

_"No, no! Leona is a beautiful name. I just wasn't expecting it." Alexander reassured, again taking her paw in his own._

_With those words her smile returned and stayed, and the conversation continued in the late evening..._

...

_They made friendly with each other and eventually they had to leave each other's company. The two animals were both a bit discouraged about it but they promised they would keep in touch. Then they went their separate ways. Alexander decided to not go back the way he came. Hoping to avoid interaction with Chopper, he decided to take the long way back to the forest. The lion knew he would have a lot to do in the morning anyway, and he didn't need drama right now..._

_Little did he know that his relationship with that lioness would be a bittersweet one..._

_Author's Note: Hey, it's me again! I know this chapter hasn't been out for months, and I'm really sorry about that. I did a lot of rewriting of this chapter to make it the best I possibly could for you guys! I also revised chapter one so I recommended rereading it! Thank you for being so patient and understanding! :) (I promise the next chapter will be out sometime in the two weeks!) _


	4. Savior and Straw

_Four days after the ball..._

_Johnathan Gale was in the Emerald City Palace's vast library. He was returning all the books he had borrowed during his stay in Oz. Now, it was time for him to go back home to Kansas. Back to his brother, sister-in-law, and his newborn nephew. Henry was older than him by five years, but John still couldn't believe he was already an uncle at seventeen. There was another thought that plagued his mind._

_Victoria..._

_He had not seen her since his last visit to the magical land he loved. It saddened him greatly. She was his closest friend, and the first person John met when he accidentally "found" Oz. However, what shocked him the most was how much magical ability she possessed. Victoria was known as the protector of Oz and ruler of the scepter of Oz. It was a position that was both regal and important. She was the second most magical and influential person in Oz, besides the Witches, who were the first. Even though she looked like one of the good witches and was powerful like one, she was just an ordinary munchkin-human hybrid, which means that she was from Munchkinland but didn't look like an average munchkin. Even if she was different, she was still just as beautiful as the world that she lived in. It always fascinated him how Oz was so different from his world, but yet just as impressive._

_As if on a queue of him finishing that thought, there was knock on the tall, green doors of the library. Johnathan, being the only person in the library, went to answer it. When he opened the door, he was not expecting what his brown eyes saw._

_"Victoria!" Johnathan exclaimed, running over to her to embrace her. However, the force of his hug knocked them both to the ground._

_They both laughed and stood up, embracing each other. John rested his chin on her brown-haired head while Victoria laid her head on his chest._

_They stayed like that for a few minutes before Johnathan lifted his head, pulling slightly out of the embrace. He looked down at her and smiled his signature smile._

_"Laurens told me you wouldn't be back for a few months." He said, sounding surprised to see her._

_Victoria looked up at him, her emerald eyes gleaming brightly. She seemed to bite her lip for a moment before responding._

_"Well yes," Victoria replied, apprehensively, "he sent me a letter saying that you were in Oz for a couple of days, so I came back as fast as I could."_

_"That's nice of you," John stated, not seeming to notice the anxiety in her voice, "I hope I didn't disrupt-"_

_He glanced at her hair. John was surprised he didn't see it before. Something was in her hair. He used his index finger and his thumb to pick it out._

**_Straw..._**

_"Victoria," John asked in confusion, "why is there a piece of straw in your hair?..."_

...

Meanwhile, in Oz, Tin Man and Lion were both in the Wizard's Chamber, trying their luck at fixing something.

"Tin Man, why are we doing this again?" Lion yawned out of boredom while trying to unbend one of the broken pipes, "I thought we were supposed to be helping Scarecrow."

"We are." Tin Man replied, using a screwdriver to drive in a bolt, "I wrote that in the letter I sent you, didn't I?"

"Well yeah," Lion said, trying to fix another broken pipe, "but I wasn't expecting the problem we had to fix was the Rainbow Mover. I thought that would have been the first thing he would have done after we defeated the Jester."

"He did want to, but you know how busy he is with fixing all the damage the Jester caused. Scarecrow doesn't have much free time as he used to." Tin Man answered, returning the screwdriver to the toolbox.

There was a long silence before Lion spoke up.

"Tin Man," Lion asked, looking over at his tin companion, "don't you think Dorothy's happy back in Kansas?"

"What do you mean, Lion?" The Tin Man inquired, not looking up from his repairing work.

"I mean that after three years in Kansas, and no sign of her, she's most likely, even though I hate to suggest this, has forgotten about us." The lion king admitted, seeming against his thought.

The Tin Man thought about how to respond. Who did Lion think Dorothy was? Was she a friend or foe to him? He had been talking strangely of her lately like there was some negative energy between him and Dorothy, although he seemed perfectly fine with her before she left.

"Do you think she is the kind of person to leave her friends behind?" The Tin Man stated, sounding as if Lion asked a stupid question.

"Look, I don't know how I feel about dragging her back here." Lion responded defensively, "Plus, how do we know what state her town is in after the tornado?"

"That's just it, Lion. We don't know." Tin Man said, "All we know is that Scarecrow would be better off if she were here."

...

King Scarecrow was in his study, as he usually was when doing paperwork. Stacks of books and paperwork filled his desk. Anyone could see that he was focused on his duties. He loved Oz, but being king was a heavy burden to carry. A burden that the Wizard saw fit to give to him. Even after ruling for several years, he was still unsure about his leadership.

_"One minute you're on a pole in a cornfield, the next you're ruling a kingdom." The Scarecrow had thought during the Wizard's departure, "and on top of it, my first ever friend is going home. I might never see her again."_

Or so he thought...

When Dorothy came back to Oz, it wasn't the meeting he wanted. Being kidnapped, tortured, and leaving Dorothy stranded in the middle of nowhere. He felt so guilty for putting her straight in harm's way and within the Jester's reach. She almost got turned into a puppet because of him.

_"If I would have been there to protect her, she wouldn't have gotten into as much trouble as she did." The Scarecrow had thought shortly afterward she had gone back home._

Now, he was both happy and sad that she was back home, where she was happy. For one thing, Dorothy was safe in her world with nothing that could bring great harm to her. On the other hand, he had been lonely for the past years. He did have Tin Man, Lion, and all the others, but Dorothy was...special. Whenever someone would mention her, his brain would fuzz, and he would begin to trip more often. The straw man wasn't sure why, and he had tried to figure it out but his brain and books lead him nowhere. However, as the king became more and more immersed in work, he barely had time to just sit and think. Therefore, the subject had dropped from his mind...

"After they fix the damaged houses in Munchkin Land," the straw king thought, squinting his eyes at a piece of parchment, "they can start fixing the damaged bridge in Glikin Country..."

There was a rap at his study door. The Scarecrow got up to open the door since it was locked from the inside. When he opened the door, he saw the Tin Man and Lion smiling brightly at him. The king cocked his eyebrow in confusion.

"Guys, what are you doing here? I thought you both were busy." The Scarecrow asked, narrowing his emerald eyes on the two.

"Well, we both found some free time, and we were able to give you a surprise." The Tin Man replied before Lion spoke.

"Yup, and Tin Can sent me a letter asking for my help with the surprise," Lion added mischievously, glancing at Tin Man to see how he would react to his tease.

"Tin Can?!" The Tin Man shouted, seeing red, "oh, I will show you, you pompous..."

Scarecrow raised his gloved hand to silence both of his bickering friends.

"Look, all I will say is that this better not be a waste of time." The Scarecrow said solemnly, gazing at the two creatures with slight fire in his eyes.

"Oh, I think you will find it quite a good use of time." Tin Man responded with a wink, motioning for the king to follow him.

As the trio walked along, Lion was starting to have doubts about bringing Dorothy back to Oz. He knew that she was probably content with her life now. However, the lion king chose to bite his tongue. He did most of the time when he was around his friends.

As they came to the doors of the Wizard's Chamber, Scarecrow looked on with a combination of worries and eagerness. When the door opened, though, some of the burdens of being king seemed to be lifted off his shoulders as he saw the repaired Rainbow Mover.

"Wow..." The Scarecrow remarked, shocked at what his friends had done for him.

And, at that moment, he realized how lucky he truly was.

_Author's Note: Chapter 3 is completed! :) I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and Chapter 4 will be out soon!_


	5. Uncertainty and Wishes

Dorothy gazed up at the twilight sky, with the envelope still in hand. As she looked up at the many stars that dotted the sky, her mind went to her parents. The handwriting on the front of the envelope looked similar to that of the man who came to her door one afternoon, with an envelope in-hand, which contained her father's last letter to her. She remembered the letter mentioned a slight hint on why he had to leave again. At that time, Dorothy was severely confused and sad since she was still only a young child. Now, this new envelope confused her even that man trying to contact her again?Dorothy wasn't sure, and with each passing day, she felt an emptiness grow inside of her. This feeling caused more questions to flood her already confused mind. That's why she was gazing at the stars. Dorothy semi-hoped that they would hold some answers to her early childhood.

Thousands of miles away from where Dorothy stood, the Ozian king also began questioning his feelings...

...

The Scarecrow gazed up at his repaired machine awestruck. He knew he had good friends but not ones who would go the extra mile to make him happy. The king realized that the reason why he was unhappy was not that he was overwhelmed with work, but that he missed Dorothy. She had been the first person who saw him as a being with feelings. Most people who traveled down the Yellow Brick Road never paid any mind to him. However, when he saw Dorothy skipping down the road, he felt she was different. When Dorothy learned that he could talk, she was curious but not frightened. She wasn't hesitant to touch him or speak to him. Dorothy treated him like he was a human being with feelings, thoughts, and a heart. The king never admitted this to anyone, and he never considered himself to be much of a romantic. The Scarecrow was a creature who liked to keep to himself, and he knew that keeping his feelings about Dorothy inside was better than letting them cause rumors to spread among the Ozian courtiers. They believed that after twenty-six Ozian years on the throne, he would have been engaged or married by now. However, foreign royals that came to Oz only wanted some quantity of political and military power over Oz. They only saw him as someone who could help them gain more of that power. Therefore, the king guessed he loved Dorothy as much as he did because she was different from any other foreign woman he knew-...

"Scarecrow, are you alright?" The Tin Man asked, unknowingly interrupting his thoughts.

"Hm?" The Scarecrow uttered, looking at his tin companion, "oh yes, I'm alright."

"Not thinking about the ball coming up next week? Or all those princesses the courtiers are going to force on you?" Tin Man said, smirking, "Oh, and the fact that Dorothy will also be here while all that's going on."

The Scarecrow flinched. He hadn't thought about that. Anxiety started rising in his mind. She's a celebrity, after all. As he began to think more in-depth on the matter, Scarecrow realized who Dorothy was. Even though grand parties weren't something she was familiar with, however in stressful situations, she stayed calm and poised. His feelings of nervousness decreased slightly; however, he was still worried about her.

The king sighed before responding, "I'm just worried is all, and I don't want her to get hurt. She is one of my closest friends, after all."

"Oh, of course, one of your _friends_." The Tin Man winked, emphasizing the word "friends."

The Scarecrow cocked an eyebrow in annoyance. The fact that Tin Man had an interest in romance could be quite useful for someone like him who wasn't much of a romantic. On the other hand, he could also go overboard. However, Scarecrow knew that the Tin Man didn't have an easy early life. Therefore, it gave the king a reason to brush it off.

He then noticed Lion standing silently behind Tin Man. He hadn't moved or said a word for the past couple of minutes. He just stood, rooted to the spot on the emerald floor, and stared up at the ceiling. His silence made the strawman wonder what was going through the lion king's head.

"Lion?" The Scarecrow asked, concerned, causing Tin Man to turn his attention to Lion, "are you okay?"

Lion lowered his head to face his two companions.

"I'm just thinking."

"About what?"

"About..." The Lion hesitated before quickly replying, "about how late it's getting! I need to go back and check on how my animal subjects are doing! Just send me a letter by the wind when you want to contact Dorothy."

"Lion, wait!"

The animals' king dashed out of the double doors of the Wizard's Chamber, without noticing his friends calling out to him.

A moment of silence passed before the Scarecrow spoke.

"Well, I think we will contact Dorothy tomorrow morning since it's rather late in her world." The king remarked, slightly smiling.

"In that case, I will head home. You have a good night, Crow. Also, I will send a letter to Lion about the plan for tomorrow." The Tin Man said, starting to walk to the door.

"Alright, I'll see ya tomorrow bright and early!" the Scarecrow answered gleefully, walking over to close the door.

After closing the door, Scarecrow put his back against the door. He would finally have a purpose again. He had an endearment to the Ozian people, but also, he had a promise to his friends.

Especially since one of those friends was Dorothy Gale...

...

As it got later and later into the night, the Moon began to brighten, and more stars began to show. Dorothy was currently lying in her bed in her nightclothes, settling down that night with a book. After a few minutes of reading, she started to grow tired.

"I hope I don't have too many of those ghastly nightmares tonight." Dorothy thought yawning, setting the book down on the nearby nightstand.

She turned off her lamp, and she laid in the dark, waiting for sleep to take over her body. However, her mind flooded with thoughts about the day the dawn would bring. Tomorrow was the anniversary of the day she first landed in Oz. The day she met Glinda, Lion, Tin Man, and Scarecrow. Dorothy reflected on this as she dug her head deeper into the pillow. She knew that all her friends and Oz itself loved her a lot. However, she noticed that Scarecrow's love for her was different. It showed through his overall care for her, and his determination to make sure that she was out of harm's way. The only exception to this pattern was when Scarecrow brought her back to Oz when the Jester took over. She had been stranded in the middle of nowhere.

Nevertheless, she didn't blame the king, though, because it wasn't his fault that the flying monkeys attacked and kidnapped him. Despite the fact, he was tormented and frightened, after this ordeal, he stayed himself. His smile was still warm, his temperament balanced, and his eyes kept their green hue, only they were slightly duller. When Scarecrow embraced her, his hug caused her to feel a tingling inside. She wasn't sure why, but this was not surprising to her. Her life in the past few years had been filled with uncertainty.

With that final thought, the silence of the night lulled Dorothy to sleep...

_Author's Note: Hello again, guys! I hope you enjoyed Chapter 4! In the next chapter, Dorothy will finally get back to Oz. See you in the next chapter!_


	6. Returning Over the Rainbow

_Meanwhile, while John and Victoria were conversing in the library..._

_Alexander Lion sat on his leafy throne, contemplating, which was not a usual activity for him. About Charlotte, the ball, Leona, and Chopper... He wasn't someone who loved drama. He loathed it. All he wanted now was peace for a few days. He had a kingdom to run, subjects to care for, and a lioness to be with. Words were unnecessary, especially now. If Charlotte was happy with Laurens, then who was he to step in the way of their relationship..._

_He came out of his thoughts and returned his focus to the paper in his hand. It was a petition to keep the Kalidahs under extra surveillance. When Alex was about to sign it, his messenger came in with a satchel full of envelopes._

_"Oh, Boarce, long time no see." The lion king said cheerfully, "How's Lily doing?"_

_"Oh, she's just fine, your Majesty." Boarce, who was a boar, snorted, "she agreed to another date!"_

_"Oh, that's wonderful, Boarce." Alexander replied, grinning, eyeing the satchel, "I see I have a lot today..."_

_"Don't you every day, your Highness?" Boarce stated, raising an eyebrow and setting the satchel in the king's lap. _

_"Yes, I suppose." The lion responded with a slight chuckle, "too much sometimes."_

_"Indeed, your Majesty. Well, then I better leave you to it." Boarce said with a bow, before exiting the throne room. _

_"Thanks, Boarce, and have fun with Lillian!" The king replied, waving to the boar._

_"I will your Majesty!" Boarce called from a distance._

_Alexander opened the satchel and saw all the mail he had. _

_"Good Oz, this is a lot..." he thought while looking through it, "more than I have ever had before."_

_Alexander skimmed through the envelopes. Some looked like letters; others looked like more petitions. He would only know what they were when he opened them. He plucked the first envelope out, and he seemed to see who it was from. However, it only was addressed to him._

_"Hm, how strange. Normally people send a return address." The lion king muttered in confusion._

_He opened the envelope carefully and found that it was a letter. It wasn't just any letter though..._

...

_Dear Alexander,_

_I know you want to be left alone after what happened. I understand that you might not want to talk to me for some time. However, I can't be silent. I know I should have warned you about our engagement_._ I realize that you were truly upset about it, and I want to try and make it right. It's my fault. Meet me, you-know-where at sunset. _

_Sincerely,_

_Charlotte _

...

_The king stared blankly at the letter for a few minutes, deciding what to do. He knew Char had grown very upset after what had happened, and if he didn't respond to her attempt to try and sort things out, it would make her more unhappy than she already was. His heart began to ache, and it was telling him to go to Charlotte and take the guilt she felt off her shoulders. His head was protesting, but his heart had already won._

_Alexander looked out at the horizon. The sun was starting to sink lower, and some stars began to show. He grabbed the letter swiftly and placed it in his waistcoat pocket. Alexander got down on all four and ran through the trees of the forest. In a short time, he was at the foot of the hill where he and Charlotte used to watch the sunset. One of his paws dug deep into the grass, unintentionally leaving his paw print imprinted in the dirt. He was extremely nervous. Questions begin to form in his mind. _

_"What if I say the wrong thing? What if I make her even more upset?" Alexander thought, walking steadily up the hill, then he shook his previous thought away, "No, I can't think like that; she wants to set things straight, not hurt me even more."_

...

_When he reached the top of the hill, that's when he saw her. She was completely still, except for her golden braid, which was gently swaying in the breeze and her legs, which were dangling over the cliff's edge. Alexander tiptoed over to her and sat down beside her. A look of peace edged on her face. He began to speak._

_"Charlotte, I completely understand if your..." Alexander started but was stopped by the sound of her voice._

_"Alex, listen..." Charlotte hesitated, without turning to face him, "you remember when you first took me here?"_

_"Yes," Alexander said with a slight chuckle, "I remember you saying that the world looked friendlier from up here."_

_"And...did you know...what I meant by that?" Charlotte questioned, her words becoming more profound as she spoke._

_"No..." Alexander replied, looking down at the ground, "I always took it as just a poetic-type of thing you said."_

_Charlotte sighed and placed his paw in her hand._

_"Alex," she said, partly whispering, "The world is cruel...and ugly, but there are times and... people when the world is not."_

_"I know, but...I'm just...I don't understand." The lion said, pausing to rephrase his statement so that she could understand his uncertainty better. _

_"You shouldn't, and you wouldn't right away," Charlotte responded, smiling a simple smile at him, "That's why I wanted you to come here in the first place."_

_Alexander only became more confused with every word she spoke. He wanted to understand. All he knew was that he had handled his reaction to Charlotte's engagement in the wrong way. However, Alexander knew she was trying to help him understand, so he kept on listening._

_"You are someone who makes the world less dark for me and that you are worth more to me than you think you are..." Charlotte continued, still looking sincerely into his eyes._

_He could tell she wasn't lying to him. Whenever she had that soft gaze in her eyes, it always reassured him that was she was saying was genuinely heartfelt. He was about to speak, but she put her finger over his lips._

_"When you took me here, all those years ago, all the world's cruelty and unfairness seemed to wash away because it was just you and me. Laurens, for me, is also one of those people so, that's why I love him. I love you just as much, only not in a romantic way." she said, her eyes still looking at him _

_Alexander sat, thinking about how to respond. However, at that moment, he didn't have the words to thank her. He only silently nodded his head in agreement._

_Without words, they sat together and watched the sunset; both realized that their relationship now was how it needed to be._

_**Separated but still together...**_

...

"Dorothy, breakfast!"

Even before the sun could rise to mark the beginning of a new day, the Savior of Oz was already awake and fully dressed. It was a special day, after all. When she was about to head to the kitchen for breakfast, she remembered the envelope.

"Oh no, if Uncle Henry or Auntie Em find it, they'll open it for sure!" Dorothy thought, frantically searching for it, "Oh, where could I have put it?

As Dorothy was looking on her hands and knees, she felt something hit her in the head.

"Ouch!" she partly mumbled to prevent her aunt or uncle from hearing.

It was a book that had fallen. Then she finally saw it. It was right there on her nightstand. It had been under the book she had been reading before bed last night. She sighed as a feeling of relief washed over her, she stood up and dusted herself off.

"Dorothy, come on! It's getting cold!"

"Coming, Auntie Em!"

She gently shoved the envelope into her coat pocket before walking out of her bedroom. When Dorothy stepped into the kitchen, she could tell there was something wrong. Her uncle was sitting at the kitchen table, his nose stuck in a newspaper, and her aunt was now sitting adjacent to her husband, with a cup of coffee gripped firmly between her hands. Toto ran up to her, barking happily.

"Mornin' Dorothy." Uncle Henry greeted, looking at his niece with a slightly sad smile.

"Morning." Dorothy chirped, picking Toto up, "And morning to you as well, Toto."

As Dorothy sat down at the table, she noticed something in the Kansas morning sky. There was a rainbow in the sky. It looked as if someone had painted it on the sky with brilliant shades of colors. She didn't understand why she thought that. She had been so uncertain about where her life was going to go ever since she left Oz. She wondered about her parents, her future, and her Oz...

"Auntie Em, Uncle Henry?" Dorothy asked, both looking at her, "Would you mind if Toto and I go outside?"

There was a moment of silence before her aunt answered.

"No, not at all," she replied unemotionally, Dorothy noticing the sadness in her eyes, "Just put your plate in the sink."

Only a moment later, Dorothy rose in silence from the table. When she went to put her plate in the sink, Dorothy looked back at her aunt and uncle. These were the people who raised her, who had gone through so much pain and suffering to keep her alive and safe, who had been there for her right after they learned about her father's death, who could have easily given put her in a foster home but who had chosen to keep her. Dorothy knew she had to do something for them. Though, no matter how many towns she saved, or how many witches she accidentally destroyed, it would never be enough to pay them back. Before walking out of the door, Dorothy grabbed her art supplies.

"I'll try and paint something that might cheer them up." Dorothy thought, looking back at her relatives one last time before opening the door, "Come on Toto."

And with that, the Savior of Oz and her little dog walked to her favorite hill, which was where they had been sitting when the rainbow had struck, not knowing that she would soon be heading back over the rainbow once.

...

A little while before Dorothy went outside...

The king of Oz had risen very early that morning since he didn't need sleep. Though, some nights he would lay down, close his eyes and just relax. It was another way the Scarecrow relieved stress, other than inventing. He left his bedroom and made his way to the Wizard's chamber. For the first time in a while, the king didn't have a meeting to go to, and he finished his paperwork last night. Now, he was doing a final check of all the Rainbow Mover's features to make sure that they were all working correctly. The last thing he wanted was for her to get dropped somewhere in the hinterlands again.

"Once Dorothy arrives, I'll be able to spend some quality time with her. Some time not fighting off any threat, or trying to defeat a villain, only spending time making memories together." The Scarecrow thought in contentment, now starting to think about all the things they could do together but suddenly feeling discouraged, "Well, at least I hope to have time."

There was a sudden knock on the chamber's double doors. The king went to answer it. Standing in the hallway was the Tin Man. He looked at how he usually did, polished and somewhat sparkling, with a pleasant smile on his face. However, there was no sign of Lion.

"Good Morning, Crow." The Tin Man greeted cheerfully, "lovely day, ain't it?"

"Morning, Tin, and yes, the weather is perfect for a rainbow." The Scarecrow said, smiling, "Where's Lion?"

"I'm not sure." Tin Man replied uneasily while walking through the doors, "The letter he sent me was very vague. He refused to tell me why he ran off yesterday."

"Hmm...well, if he refuses to tell you, the best we can do is leave him be until he's ready to open up," Scarecrow responded, feeling slightly discouraged but then shaking it off, "Anyway, are the others coming?"

"Yes, the others are coming. They sounded excited to see Dorothy again." Tin Man nodded then winked, "Not as excited as you, though."

The king only stared him down with the eyes of an angry eagle.

"Alright, your majesty. I'll stop. I promise." The Tin Man relented with a slight chuckle, lucky that he had gotten his emotions under control in the last three years, "It's still a possibility, though."

"All I know is that I need to do what's best for my country," The Scarecrow said sternly, looking and sounding more like a king and less himself, "and if that means I have to make an alliance through marriage, so be it."

The Tin Man sighed before answering.

"Someone, I can't remember who, once told me that when it comes to love, you need to listen to your heart, not your head," The Tin Man reasoned in a semi downcast tone, "You won't know when you love someone, you have to feel it. And I know monarchs need to do things for the good of their land, but sometimes doing what feels right for you is what's right for your subjects."

Scarecrow turned to reply, but before he could, there was a light knock on the door.

...

The summer Kansas air felt refreshing in Dorothy's lungs. For as long as she could remember, she had always been someone who had loved the outdoors. When she was younger, Dorothy remembered doodling the many eastern white pine trees and small coneflowers that grew near her parents' old house, which had only been about a block away from her aunt and uncle's house. That had been her house for the past seven years now, and she was thankful to have it.

With Toto barking merrily beside her, Dorothy sat at the top of the hill, where she could fully see the vivid rainbow. Oz came to her mind. She looked at her paints, her easel, then the canvas. An idea popped into her head. A rainbow, that's what she could paint for her aunt and uncle.

"Rainbows are a symbol of hope," Dorothy thought, scanning her brain, trying to regain the knowledge she had about rainbows and their symbolism throughout history, "and hope cheers people up."

With no hesitation, Dorothy began to paint. However, before long, she noticed the rainbow was moving. Moving towards her... She stood up.

"The rainbow's moving?" Dorothy asked, questioning whether it was really happening or not, "it has to be."

Oz needed her again. Dorothy didn't run away from it like she did last time. Her feelings of fright from three years ago had been replaced with a sense of concern and determination. That's why she grabbed Toto, who was now whimpering and ran towards the rainbow. Eventually, she and Toto were gone from the Kansas field, and soon would be in Oz, on a journey that was not expected.

...

In the western region of Oz, more specifically in the late Witches and Jester's castle, three ghosts of past evil were plotting.

"Now that she's back, there will be nothing to stop us from finally defeating the precious Savior of Oz!"

The ghosts cackled evilly as lighting crashed outside the tower's window.

_Author's Note: Chapter 5 is done! Sorry for the delay on this one, I got busy. So, I have two quick announcements to make. First off, thanks for 1,000 views (on Wattpad) I really appreciate it! :) Second, I'm promoting the Legends of Oz Amino group! If you don't already know, Amino is an app where you can interact with people in communities or fandoms. You can chat, create quizzes and polls, and post images. You can find me in the amino at TheGaleNarrator. Unfortunately, the link doesn't work on this site. You can check out this story on Wattpad if you need that link or you can search it in the Amino app._

_Anyway, have a fantastic day and I'll see you all in the next chapter!_


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